Shape memory materials have the unique ability to “remember” a pre-set shape and, upon exposure to the appropriate stimuli, shift from a deformed or altered shape back to the pre-set shape. Several commercially important uses have been developed for shape memory materials. For example, shape memory metal alloys are commonly used in various medical, dental, mechanical, and other technology areas for a wide variety of products.
Shape memory polymers and the uses of these materials have emerged more recently. However, the basic premise behind these materials is the same—that the material can be pre-set in a particular shape, deformed, and then revert back to the pre-set shape when exposed to the appropriate stimuli.